Warning: Long post today to catch up!

In the category of things I would do differently if I was to do this again, I would definitely pay more attention to the food supply.  I think most of us know that this is the driving force for finding birds, but it’s often in the backs of our mind, not front and centre (or center, for my American readers). Case in point is the abundance of berries on Arbutus (Madrone) trees.  We had a good supply of berries this year, bringing with it regular reports of Pine Grosbeaks.  What a difference a month makes!  The grosbeaks had been reported often on Jocelyn Hill, a decent, but moderately strenuous hike.  But now, mid-February, both the berries and the birds have disappeared.   The only option to find this species was to move to higher ground.

Thursday, the weather forecast had promised clearing skies, so with a bit of drizzle in the air, I headed north with Ian Cruickshank and Mike McGrenere.  A damp and foggy tour of the Malahat and Shawnigan Lake area made it clear that there were no berries left on the Arbutus–at least within the 50 ft visibility that we had.   But Ian knew a good place along the Koksilah River, so off we went to Eagle Heights.  The key word here is “heights”.  After a relatively easy ascent along a logging road (with us now on foot due to a locked gate), we came to the trail.  It isn’t a long trail–maybe 500 to 600 m– but it is definitely steep.  The fog had lifted, but the drizzle had increased, making the climb both steep and slippery.  Yay!

I will fully admit that I am not in the greatest shape. Not horrible, but not great.  I can walk all day without an issue, but speed or steepness gets my heart pumping hard, and it’s a sensation I don’t like.  Not to mention the screaming calf muscles.  I know I have some work to do if I hope to get ptarmigan this year, but that’s August.  Lots of time to prepare!  We were getting close to the viewpoint when lungs and legs gave out and I had to urge Ian and Mike to just leave me where I fell and go on without me. I would settle for a lower lookout.  I knew I could muster the energy if they found the birds, but I needed to stop.  However, after about a ten minute rest, I was good to go and joined them at the summit of the heights.  It was a beautiful spot, with a great overlook of the forest. A few juncos and robins showed up, but the berries were gone and so were the grosbeaks. Empty-handed, we headed down the hill, and on to Duncan to see what we could see.  And I am seriously rethinking ptarmigan….

Despite the forecast, the drizzle continued on and off for our stops at Bench Rd,, the sewage lagoons, the Drinkwater Rd. trail and a couple of other places to scan through gulls and ducks.  While I was able to add several species to my Cowichan Valley list, no new birds for the year.  Any day birding is a good day!

Friday started out with lunch with Ann Scarfe, who gave me a couple of cool gifts–a pair of lucky socks and a book on birdwatching with American women. This could come in handy, as I often go birdwatching with American women.After lunch, I set out on my own to visit a few good birding spots in Colwood and Metchosin, just to see what I might stumble across.  After a quick stop at Esquimalt Lagoon, I headed to the Royal Bay development/gravel pit.  This has turned up some good rarities in recent years.  During an earlier exploration trip, I had seen something I wanted to check out more thoroughly.  As a vertically challenged person, I often have trouble getting a good view.  Going along the road less travelled, I found a wonderful new viewing spot that provided a great lookout for both the gravel pit and an alder woodlot that I have long felt would turn up something great.Friday, there were just the usual suspects, but I now have a new spot that will allow me to see the tops of these trees when the migrants start coming in.  This is going to be a favourite, I’m sure!

I found a good raft of Western Grebes off Taylor beach, but they were too distant and the skies too cloudy for me to turn any of them into Clark’s.  As the sun started to fade, I headed back to town in the hopes of finding the American Bittern at Swan Lake.

Having been skunked from the boardwalk, I decided to try Ian C.’s strategy of hanging out at the Saanich Police station’s helipad and watching for the bird coming to roost.  By this time, there was a bit of the recurring drizzle starting, so I had to “dress” appropriately if I was going to sit there for a while.  I have a lovely high-end tarp that I found last year on the beach at Jordan River.  It was perfect as make-shift rain gear to keep me dry while I waited.  Yes, that’s right.  I sat on a picnic table, wrapped in a tarp, behind the police station.  I wondered if the bittern or an officer would be the first to show.  After about an hour, the question was answered.  An officer came out to check on my sanity.  We had a nice conversation about the view and the birds.  I’m not sure what conclusion he drew!  Before the skies went completely dark, I managed to hear a single Virginia Rail for species 143, but no bittern–again.

Saturday, Ian and I headed to Salt Spring Island to resume the grosbeak search with Karen Ferguson.  From the ferry, we spotted several Rhinoceros Auklets (144), so the trip was a success with or without Pine Grosbeaks.

On arrival we headed up  to Shauna Wendover’s place to hike a hill near her hme. It was nothing compared to the Eagle Heights climb, but still a reminder of the work I’ll have to do for ptarmigan in August.  Grosbeaks had been here just five days ago, but there were none to be found today.  Another beautiful place I’d never been before, though.  Bald Eagles circled the hilltop, and the fog-free view was fantastic!

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We also found a really pretty lichen-encrusted rock.But no Pine Grosbeaks.

We were rewarded, however, with my first singing Hutton’s Vireo (145) of the year as we drove on to our next destination.

Karen was focussing on places that she had seen abundant crops of Arbutus berries.  Where there’s food, there’s birds!  We headed to Channel Ridge, an area slated for massive housing development, but with a nice network of trails and natural areas.  We heard plenty of robins on arrival, but no grosbeaks.

Along the trail, Karen pointed out a pair of Great Horned Owls.

Ultimately we found it!  The last remaining Arbutus berry anywhere! Could this be a good sign?

There were spectacular views and signs of spring everywhere including an awakening bumblebee and our first Satyr Comma of the season, but no grosbeaks.  

Deciding to move on, we headed back along the trail.  About 100m before we made it back to the car, a sound!  What??  Yes!! Pine Grosbeaks!  We didn’t manage to see them, but five seconds of Pine Grosbeak calls saved the day!  Species 146 and a big “whew”.   Who knows if the berry crop next winter will be sufficient to bring these birds back, so it was a great relief to have them checked off now.

There was time for a couple of quick stops before we returned to the ferry when there was another sound.  A text from Carla Duffey from Quadra Island.  Yep, the Great Gray was seen at 3:40 pm.  Arghhh!  Do I go again?